Cumberland House Journal 1774-75 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1775 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1775-76 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1776-77 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1776-77a complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1777-78 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1778-79 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1779-80 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1780-81 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1781-82 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1781-82a complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1782-83 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1783-84 complete here includes Hudson House 1783-84
Cumberland House Journal 1784-85 complete here includes Hudson House 1784-85
Cumberland House Journal 1785-86 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1786-87 George Hudson complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1786-87 Malchom Ross complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1787-88 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1788-89 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1789-90 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1790-91 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1791-92 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1792-93 complete here
Cumberland House Journal 1793-94 complete here
Cumberland House Malcolm Ross
Jan. 13 1794
"A Journey up the Saskachewan by Malcolm Rofs"
The whole Journey is here
Cumberland House Journal 1796-97 complete here
From a copy of a letter from William Tomison at Cumberland to Robert Longmoor at Hudson House
Mar. 15 1779
..."as to the Indians not bringing furrs I am not in the least surprised at as the greater part can be supplied for Bringing Provisions, indeed I am positive that Indians will never trouble themselves with any Labourious work when they can live without. By the present proceedings of the Canadian Traders Striving against each other not only will but has already drove the Indians into a State of Debauch and Indolence. it is a great Pity such a body of Natives should be destroyed by a parcel of wild fellows Such as Mac Cormick going about Sword in hand threatening the Natives to make them trade with them whither they will or no"...
1M63 B.87/a/1
Copy of a letter from Wm Tomison at Cumberland House
Feb. 17 1782
..." I have sent two men away with the Sandfly and Pafsasquel tumen"...
..."it gives me great pain to hear from your Quarter of the Deaths of so many brave Indians but indeed it is not only with you alone for here we have been buried upwards of Thirty for which number there is only two recover'd and they are but Children. The U'Basqui'au Indians is all dead and ten tents of Pegogemy and Cowinetow Indians that was pitching towards this place all dead"...
..."You will endeavour to acertain"..."also from what tribe this Cruel Disorder first sprung, as to myself am of the Opinion that it came from the Snake Indians and have been conveyed to them by those that trade in the Mifsisippi"...
1M63 B.87/a/4
Excerpt of a letter from George Hudson at Cumberland House
Sept.9 1782 Hudson House Journal Reel 1M63
" Magnus Slater Supposed by all to have been dead, arrived here Sept. 4th
with an Indian Woman he Employed to bring him up the Small River to the
House. He came on his journey in the spring very well till within three
Days of the House turning then snow Blind he proceeded down the River till
she went away but got no further than a little below A'Basquiau, living
upon Scraping of Sticks withered Berres, and sometimes forced to swallow
Tobacco by way of nourishment. The Dog that was with him died of Hunger,
him He also eat, He at last by crawling about found an old Canoe, Which he
mended & proceeded down to the Head of the Branches. there he built a small
House, made him a Drag of Willows and caught a few Small Jacks which he
lived on all the Summer. At last recovering his strength he Ventured in
search of the House to which he was 17 Days coming having seen no living
Creature but wild Beast for 6 Months and 5 Days."
Cumberland House?
Oct. 3 1783
" three Indian Men Arrived from the Southward to wait for the Black Indian coming from York Fort and they have the News of York Fort being taken by the French."
1M39 B.49/a/14
On the way from York to Cumberland Wm. Tomison
Aug. 23 1784
" did not proceed several of the young hands not being able to walk their legs and feet being much swelled"
1M39 B.49/a/15
Same trip
Sept. 9 1784
" James Davey stroled away into the woods this morning and was lost for about six hours presently after being mifsed I sent a party of English and Indians in search of him which brought him back."
1M39 B.49/a/15
Cumberland House Malcolm Ross?
Dec. 5 1784
" this morning Edward Umphreville and two Canadians came here to deliver a message from Mr. Holmes which was as follows I find you are to? Intimate with William Tomison but I desire for the future that you have no correspondence with that impertinant scoundrel but as he gave no reason for calling me, so I return him the same compliment back again."
1M39 B.49/a/15
Cumberland House Wm Tomison
Jan. 14 1785
" These inform me that a starved Indian Man & his Son had a narrow escape of being killed by a grizzle Bear two months agoe? they were? both very much torn it rendered them uncapable of Hunting any thing ever since."
1M39 B.49/a/15
William Tomison at Cumberland House to Humphrey Marten
May 30 1786
" By the arrival of James Saunderson and Wm Flett Sen. on the 3rd Jan. 1786 I received your letter which gave me great pleasure to hear of the safe Arrival of their honors ship but in the other respects much to the Contrary, by the false Information you have alledged against me. In the first place sir, you say you have often solicited me to leave with you a written list of what every? necefsary to be indented for -
Sir you know some years ago I left with you a list of nine articles of sundry sorts of Beads taken out of the Bead ?? which I never heard of to this day. at other times I have often told you about having a house erected in the Bungee? Country for the greater dispatch of Business. this I also have never heard of whither you ever Informed The Honourable Board thereof I am not to determine, but I am Apt to believe you only thought me a foolish Boy and not fit to propose any such thing. As to Charles Ishams charge I mind it not, as he is a person well known not to speak truth at all times, and therefore ought not to be credited. Sir as to what you have seen in my Journal entry? 17th Oct. you cannot take hold of, as you name is not mentioned; without guilty consciences accuse themselves. Sir I do not know what right you have to inspect my Journal, or the Account Book as you are not accountable for any Goods I receive when once its put without the Warehouse door. Sir I have one thing to say if you get another Man to stay as long under you as I have been with as few words then I will give you every farthing I have earnt in the Honble Hudsons Bay Companys Service - Sir as to the great act of Benevolence you mention in your letter what I possefs shall be at your Service the first Opportunity, which is a Watch I received from you on my return from Albany with your Children, & is the only thing I ever made use of, as to the Old Cloaths you gave me on my first entering the Inland Service, was with you in the Forts at the inglorious Surrender of the Honble Hudsons Bay Comp. & Effects to a parcel of Rebels - Sir I am ready and willing to answer every bad Actions I have commited but to ask pardon from mortal man I never will. Should I be cut into Five hundred pieces and that only belongs to God and the King and not to arbitrary power Sir you say you will proclaim me a dark cowardly afsasin to my Employers and to every one that knows me, Sir take care to lay a good foundation for your own character before you Blast? mine? as the prefs is fire? for every poor man. Sir you will please to remember That I enquired of you How I should behave in regard to the Canadians who were encroaching on the Companys Liberty to which you gave me no Answer but afterwards you calld? me and seemed to be very angry and told me I had asked you a very deep Question and gave me for Answer that I was to tell them to go off the Ground which would be of little force without a Written Order for so doing. I have sent you several Packages of Furrs as per? enclosed? Numbers, also ? ? of Trading Goods, and Conclude wishing succefs to the Companys affairs and that you may have a better opinion of other Men than you have Me And am the Greatly Injured
WILLIAM TOMISON
P.S. The Indians are paid 4 Beaver for each Bundle they carry down and have nothing to receive from you on that head but by way of Friendship."
1M255 B.239/b/45
Cumberland House Magnus Twatt
June 9 1794
" I received the command of Cumberland house with the trading goods stores etc. from Mr. Malcolm Ross. and the following men are staying here all summer, Wm Hawkland,Mag. Spence, Henry Hay, the latter very ill, with Henry Hallet and James Swain Writer."
1M39 B.49/a/26
Mr.Tomison at Cumberland House to Joseph Colen at York Factory June 10, 1795
..." a more miserable set of men were never left Inland there being only James Spence and Magnus Spence that can fire a Gun so that we are laughed at by the meanest Canadian that came from Canada"...
List of Men written on a page dated 1796
Cumberland House
" M. Oman
Mag Twatt
Ed Brown
Henry Budge
Jas Flett
Wm Hawkland
Jas Sutherland"
1M39 B.49/a/27b
Excerpt from a letter by George Sutherland at Cumberland House to James
Bird at Carlton House(Saskatchewan)
Feb. 1796
"Mr. Wright is preparing to go up with the Frenchmen to live with you as
he has not yet learnt to live without eating"
1M19 B.27/a/1
Cumberland House Journal
Peter Fidler
May 23 1796
"Greedy Gut went away and to return again with Green Meat in five nights time"...
May 27 1796
..."Greedy Gut came in with 25 Geese"...
1M39 B.49/a/27b
From the journal at Cumberland House.Peter Fidler, Master.
June 2, 1796
"Early this morning 2 canoes of Indians arrived loaded with meat for our
House. These 2 men was known to be the principals in the murder of one of
the Canadian men this last winter at Isle a la Crosse. Just as one had
stepped out of his canoe(ie. Charles brother alias Beaver?) he was
immediately seized by the Canadians who was ready to take him when he
landed and they hauled him into their house. The other, called the Little
Gut, had not disembarked when the other man was seized and he immediately
pushed his canoe from the Shoar and paddled with all the haste he could to
get out of the Canadians way. They immediately manned one of their canoes
with 7 men besides Mr. Wm. McKay and pursued him, also sending several men
along shoar armed to prevent his landing. They overtook him near the Old
House where they fired and shot him dead. ??? the head. He finding himself
so closely pursued that he had got all his Powder and Ball emptied into a
logjam? loose before him ready to fire on those in the other? Canoe and as
he was just turning round his canoe to take ayme at the Canadians when Mr.
Mckay shot him dead. he had a deal of meat in the canoe when he was shot
that he was bringing to our house to trade. they brought him back in the
canoe dead and laid him upon the platform in their yard and went to
question Charles' brother. he lay in the house with his hands tied and
foaming at the mouth and appeared quite insensible. They then carried him
out and placed him alittle while by the body? of him who lay dead but he
seemed not to take the least notice. When they had carried him without the
Gates he began to sing very loud and continued till he came to the tree
where he was to be hung. They then made him confess everything with the
rope about his neck which he did and informed of everyone who was
accomplices with him. He said that he was the sole cause of the death of
the Canadian and seemed perfectly satisfied that he deserved this
ignominious death. After getting every information from him they desired
him if he had anything to say concerning his Wife & Children. He said he
had nothing to say on that head, but recomended his eldest son to the
protection of Mr. Sutherland? which was the only request he made. They then
hauled him up about 5 feet from the ground. He had not hung 3 minutes when
he gave a great struggle and the rope broke that he was suspended by but he
never afterwards moved. But they hung him up again as soon as the rope
could be adjusted? and let? him hung one hour afterward before they cut him
down. They then took both him that was shot and him that was hung and
hauled them a little way from their house and let them lay."...
Cumberland House
July 26 1796
" Mag. Spense can scarcely walk occaisioned by a swelled Foot which he got by a Sprain in Gill River on his pafsage up"
1M39 B.49/a/27b
Cumberland House Journal
Peter Fidler
Sept 12 1796
..."2 women arrived with 12 Geese"..
Written in the margin:
"Black Woman
Wis Kis Quew"
Sept 17
..."One of the Women that arrived here the 12th Inst. got stabbed in the back last Night when the Indians were drinking"
Sept. 24
..." The Woman that got wounded went away with the Ind."...
1M39 B.49/a/27b
Cumberland House
Oct. 30 1796
Taylor making "a Coat & Trowsers for Mag Spence"
1M39 B.49/a/27b
Cumberland House
Feb. 3 1797
" Pemmican, 26 Bags 76 lbs each"
1M39 B.49/a/27b
Cumberland House
Feb. 10 1797
" sent 2 men to Stay at the Hunters Tent - sent Magnus Spence Ammunition"
1M39 B.49/a/27b
Cumberland House
Mar. 5 1797
" Mag. Spence John Forbest [or Forbert] & Mag. Yorston all came from below and brought everything with them as there are no Buffalo below, all the Grafs being eat up by them in the Summer and the ground has no grafs on it for the Buffalo to stay upon."
1M39 B.49/a/27b
Cumberland House
March 6, 1797
"Gave Magnus Spence for his Wife Children for making Parchment Skins as
much as made 30 Pemmican bags and a great deal of line for tying up furrs."
Written in the margin:
Blanket 2 pt - 1
Ditto 1 pt - 1
Cloth Blue - 1 1/2
[Cloth] Aurora? - 1
Beads? of sorts com. - 3/4
Gartering yds? - 16
Knife yew - 1
Comb Ivory - 1
[Comb] horn - 1
Tob. brazil - yd 2/3
1M39 B.49/a/27b
Cumberland House
Mar 7 1797
... " Taylor making a small pair of Trowsers for Mag Spences boy"...
1M39 B.49/a/27b
Cumberland House
Mar. 22 1797
" gave Magnus Spence orders to pitch nearer the House - he is now tenting 32 Miles from the House."
1M39 B.49/a/27b
Cumberland House
May 11 1797
" The Yellow Bird came here he slept 3 nights in coming in."
1M39 B.49/a/27b
Oct.16 1800 William Tomison at Cumberland House Reel 1M40
" Sent the two fishermen James Flett Taylor & William Isbester with dogs &
sleds to draw the fish they had Caught, along shore upon the Ice, on their
returning home in lieu of Coming round the bay as directed, James Flett &
William Isbester cut short for the point to make a streight course for the
House, they unfortunately fell into the Ice and the former was drowned and
the other taken out not in his senses, what induced them to take this road
surprises every one as their has not been a finer day for the last five
weeks; where the man was drowned only 3 1/2 feet water."
William Isbester eventually died of his experience April 1, 1801 "without
a groan".
Nov.9 1802 William Tomison Cumberland house Reel 1M40
"Between 7 & 8 PM eight men & two boys arrived from York Factory in a
starving Condition and had it not been for a bag of Oatmeal and another of
flour that they had as Cargo God only knows what would have been the result
they were taken with Ice on the 13th of Oct. on a small Island in the Cedar
Lake where nothing Existed but a few trees, they had a small piece of a net
that they set which did not procure them above a meal in three days, and
that but a very poor one, and what made the matter still worse, the flour
they had served out at york was very bad, when they used it with water or
in making fish broth, if they filled a dish of it, and stirred it as thick
as it was pofsible for them to do, it would turn like water when it got
hot. Its for truth if their be any thing bad at york its good enough for
the Inlanders, this I have Experienced long ago, the last time I was there
I had Bacon & Cheese given me that was so Bad that it put me from eating
either Bacon or Cheese ever since, before your Honour's was pleased to send
the Oatmeal out ready ground their was great Complaints from the men, that
the oatmeal was nothing but husks owing to the fine part of the oatmeal
being taken away as it was Ground. once at York I went to Inspect the same
and found it every bit as bad was represented, on my telling the Chief of
the Circumstance, I was told I should not Complain as I was not served with
such; my reply was, that as I was a fellow servant and working as they did
my wish was that they should be served with as good provisions as I had or
how could I expect they would obey my orders in taking care of the
Company's property."
Nov.22 1802 William Tomison Cumberland House Reel 1M40
"Sent five men to overhaul the nets and set two more, brought one sturgeon
and a few small fish, we have 14 Nets set, each net measures 55 fathoms
which in all make 770 fathoms and with all we do not make out five days in
the week"...
Jan. 21 1803 Cumberland House William Tomison
"Nothing but Starvation in all Quarters, a bungee Indian and his family
perished to death, the vermin had eat the woman who it seems had died first
the man his son and Daughter were all in one place and the latter a girl of
about ten years of age was not dead when the two men came to them she was
laying at her fathers back her feet and ancles were frozen as hard as
stone, they put her in a Sledge but before they got to the Beaver lake
house she expired"
Feb. 19 1803 Cumberland House William Tomison
"...this afternoon a poor woman and three fatherlefs Children arrived
almost starved with both hunger and Cold and how they are to be supported
God only knows for we have not wherewith to support ourselves."
From James Sutherland at Cumberland House
Jan. 15 1807
"Sir
"By the arrival of the fall canoes I was favoured with your letter of last fall. Your Order respecting Mr. Fidler is Complied with and I feel a particular satisfaction in being guided by his well directed Conduct and whatever he may point out shall be performed with pleasure on my part."..
1M258 B.239/b/74
Cumberland House Alex Kennedy?
June 30 1818
" Ka Ke Ke huggemow & Pame show thimu arrived from the Plains being two
young men that left this last year to go to war on the Blackfeet. They have
returned without a scalp of their enimies to Console them for the lofs of
their time & the trouble they have been at."
June 8 1820 Cumberland House Reel 1M40
"The Govenor Mefser's Pruden Heron Rofs Haynes Boulton & Hutchinson with 10
Boats Loaded with furs & Provisions for York Factory left this place about
10 A.M. - The following officers & Men are left to pafs the Summer here
viz. Mr. Holmes-Master - Mr. J. Isbister trader - James Sandison, John
Skinner, James Spence, John Isbister, William McKinlay, James Snodie,
Donald Thomson, John Budge and John Kirknefs. -Sent Tomie Humpherville &
Wemeshae down to Norway House to bring up some supplies for this place -the
Big Frog, Winter Child & flying Indian came in; brought 235 Rats and some
green Meat - Men employed in turning over the Pemican - got 11 Sturgeon
from the narrows."
Sept.3 1820 Cumberland House Reel 1M40
" This morning John Isbister and Joseph L'afrequin went to visit the Nets;
and unfortunately upset their Canoe, having struggled for the space of two
hours by keeping hold of the Canoe the wind blowing strong from the shore
at last their cries were heard by some of the NWC people who came to give
us notice of the circumstance; we immediately sent off a Boat to their
afsistance, they found John Isbister still holding by the Canoe quite
exhausted; from him they learned that some time before, finding they could
not both save Themselves by holding the Canoe which was constantly sinking
under them; the other man being a good Swimmer, proposed swimming to the
net poles where might hold till some one came to their relief; but on
coming to these poles it was found that the unfortunate man had failed in
his attempt; every search was made for his body, but to no avail."
They found the body of "Joseph L'Africane" Sept 25 1823.
June 25 1823 Cumberland House James Leith as Master Reel 1M40
" Received from the [18] Indians that arrived yesterday 1760 Musquash, &
gave them a little Rum to drink; their conduct however during the day was
exceeding turbulent, & even made a hostile attack on myself & three men,
determined were they succefsful, to Pillage the house; in this however they
were disappointed for a good drubbing is all they got for their trouble."
June 26 1823
" Fitted out the whole of the Indians and got them off; having met one of
our Cows in the track, they out of revenge Cut off a piece of her tail."
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